Yugioh GEX: Year One
by Writer of Fate
Summary: Duel Academy is still running strong after 20 years. Mahad Phoenix, a duelist with special talents, joins the Duel Academy family, yet, little does he know, he'll be a part of a fate he can't escape. UPDATED WEEKLY!
1. The Beast of a Duelist

A note form the author:

I will try to update this fic as much as possible, most likely, once a week or as long as it will take me to get a nice idea. So, Read, Review, and Enjoy

Chapter One: The Beast of a Duelist

It was a mildly warm day at Harajuku. Many people were going about their business on the quiet Saturday. However, for most teens, its was a time of panic and distress. The Duel Academy Entrance Exam was coming soon, and Mahad Phoenix was one of those worried teens. Mahad had bleach white hair and hazel eyes. He was tall and muscular for his age. He was stretching and checking to make sure he had everything.

"Deck…check, Pencil…check, Cellphone…check!" said Mahad. He put on his black "Dickies" shirt and his blue jeans and then walked over to the Harajuku Testing Center. He was looking through his deck that had took him 3 weeks to construct. He walked from his house and turned around the block.

"Hmm… my Guardian Warrior Deck should be a good match. I mean, it has good synergy. Hopefully, my bro is there." Said Mahad. He crossed the street and then he saw a duel. He saw some thuggish looking person dueling another rather calm person. The thuggish person had a monster Mahad recognized as Dijin the Masked Assailant (2500/1500/7), while the calm duelist had nothing. _Dijin is a very hard to get card. It's pretty good, and this guy isn't even afraid_, thought Mahad to himself. The calm duelist began his turn.

"I hope your done trying to use a deck that you are so unfamiliar with. I know all of my monster's effects. You see, I'll break it down for you. Dijin can't be destroyed as a result of battle, and I lose 500 points for every time a Spell Card is activated. And with only 900 life points left for me, I'm in a big situation. However, let's say that the card I drew helps me gain control of Dijin. What would happen then, considering you only have 2100 points left?" said the calm duelist. The thuggist duelist looked at the calm one with some furiousity.

"Just what are you trying to say damn it?" asked the thuggish duelist.

"Instead of telling you, why don't I just play; I do have a test to go take. I'm using the Snatch Steal spell card! By equipping this card to Dijin, I can take control of it. And the thing is, I only lost 500 points just to take back the monster you literally stole from me. Now, Dijin, attack directly with Silent Knife attack!" yelled the calm duelist. The assassin was covered in a black stealth suit. He had a sharp sword. He jumped up in the air and disappeared into black smoke. He reappeared with a CRACK sound and then he stabbed the thuggish duelist. The thug yelled with a shriek of immense pain, and then his life point counter began ringing until it hit 0. The assassin began to disappear and the thug began to crawl as the calm duelist walked over to him.

"You little petty thief. I ought to kill you myself. If I were you, I'd give back the other half of deck you stole from me and then run away before I really make you scream." Said the calm duelist. The thug did just that and ran. The calm duelist bent down to pick up the duel disk. He had took out the cards from the duel disk and then he turned around and saw Mahad watching him. The duelist wore a yellow shirt which had the word "DUEL" in black letters. He had black pants and brown hair. His eyes were beetle black.

"Nice duel, man! I see you have the legendary Dijin card." Said Mahad, trying to stir a conversation.

"Thanks, my name is Fannin, Essex Fannin. Well, if you don't mind, I have to go to the Harajuku center for a test." Said Essex introducing himself to Mahad.

"You're going there too? I am as well. My name is Mahad." Said Mahad, shaking Essex's hand and introducing himself.

"Well, are we going to just stand here or are we going to go to the Harajuku Center?" asked Essex.

"Yeah, we should be heading there." Said Mahad. They both began walking together to the Harajuku center. The walk was long and tedious but it was worth it. On the way to the Center, they quizzed each other on various questions that they thought might possibly be on the test. When they reached the center, they saw about 500 to 600 other participants waiting for the test to begin.

"Wow, it's a lot of people here. I wonder if my brother made it." Said Mahad to Essex.

"Your brother is going to try and register for the academy as well? That's awesome. Well, the test starts in five minutes, we should try and see if we can find him." Said Essex, suggesting the search for Mahad's brother. They looked around for Mahad's brother. Finally, they heard a bell ring. That signaled the start of the exam. Mahad and Essex walked with the crowd, giving up on trying to find Mahad's brother. They all were in a big gymnasium-like place. There were 4 officials from the academy. Two of them were taking people to duel, the other two were taking them for oral tests. They called name after name. Soon, they yelled, "Fannin, Essex, report to the Oral Examination Site."

"Wish me luck!" said Essex, taking his deck and running down to the Examination Area. Mahad waited for a while. Soon, he heard, "Phoenix, Leo, report to the Dueling Examination Site!"

Soon, Mahad saw his brother walking down to the examination section. Leo had green eyes and pupils surrounded by amber. He looked like Mahad, except with age. He also had black hair instead of Mahad's bleached white. Mahad soon heard his name called, "Phoenix, Mahad, please report to the Oral Examination Site!"

Mahad walked down to the Examination site and then took a seat. He saw a man who looked like he was in his late twenties. He had black hair and he was in shape. He wore a read cloak and he had blue eyes. He looked at Mahad and then looked at his profile.

"So, you're Mahad Phoenix right? You received an 4.0 in your previous school, everything seems together. So, do you feel confident?" asked the man.

"Yes, I-" began Mahad before the man interrupted by holding his hand up.

"I'm sorry, I'm Professor Merlin, Uria Red Dorm Leader and Department Chair of Mathematics and Sciences. This is my first time at the Examinations, so sorry about the interruption. So, let's the test done with. Ten questions sounds good right?" said the man named Professor Merlin.

"Yes, Professor. I've been studing all night." Said Mahad.

"Okay then, question one, Name all 20 types of monsters and name all six attributes." Asked Professor Merlin reading from the paper he held in his hand. Mahad thought to himself, _What the heck kind of question is this? They actually expect us to know all of the types?!?_

"Um, if I'm not mistaken, the 20 types are as follows: Aqua, Beast, Winged-Beast, Fish, Sea Serepnt, Reptile, Dinosaur, Warrior, Spellcaster, Beast-Warrior, Fiend, Rock, Dragon, Zombie, Fairy, Plant, Insect, Machine, Pyro, and Thunder. As for the attributes, that's easy to do, as they are Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Dark, and Light." Answered Mahad who took 15 minutes to answer. Merlin clapped and then smiled. Merlin boomed hard questions at Mahad, who answered them with some effort. After the ten heart-breaking questions, Merlin took out two duel disks, and gave one to Mahad.

"Now that we are done with your Oral Examination, we'll duel to see what dorm you would most likely fit in. So, are you ready?" continued Professor Merlin with the initiation process.

"Yes, I'm ready, Professor." Answered Mahad with a positive vibe.

"Okay then, let's go." Said Professor Merlin. The two duelists walked over to the Dueling Examination arena. Professor Merlin looked inside of a blue tub and pulled out a test deck. He activated the duel disk and inserted his deck in. The life point counter glowed 4000. Mahad followed suit to what the Professor did and then his life point counter glowed 4000.

"And without further ado, it's time to do what I get paid to do best for!" said Merlin, drawing five cards from his deck.

"Okay then, Professor! Let's rock and roll!" yelled Mahad with an excited tone.

"DUEL!" yelled both of the players.

Mahad: LP 4000/Hand Size: 5

Merlin: LP 4000/Hand Size: 5

"I'll begin the duel, seeing as I am the teacher. I'll summon my Token Magician (ATK: 600/DEF: 700; 5) in attack mode and I'll place two cards face-down (3) and end my turn!" played Professor Merlin quickly. A spellcaster in traditional black robes appeared. He held an old, wooden staff. His eyes and his skin was old. He was ready to battle, but looked very weak to.

"If that's the best you can do, then prepare to fall before my monsters! I'm using my Warrior's Heart! This is a nifty continuous spell card that allows me to replace a warrior when he has fallen before the enemy. (5) Next, I'm summoning my Guardian Soldier of Ice – Blizito (1500/1700;4) in attack position!" played Mahad. A warrior in an ice-design armor appeared. He had a blade made of glowing blue material that made smoke. The warrior's eyes were icicles, their cold glare staring down the magician.

"So that's what you play? A deck full of Guardian Soldiers? Well, you will fall before my monsters!" said Professor Merlin with a slight chuckle.

"Is that so Professor? Then if the answer is yes, I want to see what happens when my warrior attacks your magician with its mighty blade!" yelled Mahad, declaring the attack of the warrior of the ill-ridden mage. The warrior jumped up, its icicle eyes glaring at the old mage. And with no struggle at all, the mage was cut in two, and the professor's life point counter rung.

Professor Merlin: 3100 LP

"Nice move young man, however, I'm activating a trap card of my own! This card is known as Cast Replacement! This card only activates when a monster is destroyed. It allows me to summon one Cast Token (0/0) in its place! How do you like those apples?" recoiled the professor. Red streams of air came together and formed a demon-like person.

"I'm setting two cards face-down and ending my turn (2)!" yelled Mahad, smiling because the Professor took the first blow. Professor Merlin drew a card(5) from his hand and then began to make his move.

"First, I'm tributing my Cast Token to summon Dark Red Enchanter (1700/2200;3)! Now, thanks to the ability of my Enchanter, I can increase the attack of it by 300 points as long as it has a Spell Counter on it. And since it was summoned with 2 Spell Counters, it gains 600 points (1700à2300). Now, destroy his warrior with Dark Red Flash!" yelled Professor Merlin. The dark person dispersed and then a red ball of energy formed into another spellcaster with red, silk robes. He held a moon-shaped sepctor. With the energy he gained from his summoning, he formed an orb of darkness and shot it at the opposing warrior, destroying it and causing damage to his life points.

Mahad: LP 3200

"Next, I'm going to use my quick-play face-down card, Magical Dimension! This allows me to tribute my Enchanter to summon Dark Magician (2500/2100;2)! Now, direct attack Magician!" yelled Professor Merlin. The legendary spellcaster in purple armor appeared. When it began to raise its staff however, another monster appeared in its way.

"Don't forget, that my spell card kicks, replacing my Guardian Warrior with another, such as my Guardian Warrior of the FIames – Kaios (1800/1100;1) in defense mode!" explained Mahad, summoning his monster. His monster had flaming armor and it stood with a shield of chilled lava. The magician looked merciless at the warrior.

"Dark Magician, attack with Dark Magic!" yelled Professor Merlin. The magician raised its staff. A wave of dark magic rushed through the air, bringing a chill to the field. Then, the dark magic hit the warrior and made him shatter. Mahad watched helplessly as he was face-to-face with the magician.

"Let's see what you got kid." Said Professor Merlin. Mahad drew a card from his deck (2) and then looked at it. He began to smile.

"I'm playing Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two cards (3). Next, I'm using Reinforcement of the Army (2)! This special card allows the user to get one Warrior-Type monster from his or her deck and add it to her hand (3). Now, I'm summoning Guardian Warrior of the Darkness – Fuitou (1900/1200;2) in attack mode! Next, I'm using my spell card, Guardian Chain (1), which increases the attack power of one of my 'Guardian Warrior' monsters by 700! (1900 à 2600) Now, destroy Dark Magician with Dark Chain slice!" yelled Mahad. A warrior with a large staff appeared. He had traditional Japanese samurai clothing in black. He had got a chain in the other hand, which glowed purplish black. He stabbed Dark Magician and caused Professor Merlin damage again.

Professor Merlin: LP 3000

"That's not all, thanks to my monster's ability, I can decrease your life points by 200 points times the level of your monster! And since the level of Dark Magician is 7, you lose 200 times 7 life points, or in short, 1400 points!" continued Mahad. The warrior began to strike Professor Merlin with the chain, and his life point counter began ringing.

"Even though you caused me damage, I can summon one Cast Token, remember?" said Professor Merlin, showing the token created by the red dust.

Professor Merlin: LP 1600

"End turn!" yelled Mahad. He had a rush of confidence that he would win. Professor Merlin drew a card (3) from his deck and then analyzed his hand.

"I'll use the Snatch Steal spell card! This allows me to take your monster and use it as my own. (2) Next, I'm going to tribute both your monster and my token to summon Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600;1) Now magician, DIRECT ATTACK!" yelled Professor Merlin. A blue-skinned magician with black attire appeared ready to battle with its long black septer. The magician raised its septer and then shot a black sphere of dark energy at Mahad. Mahad felt a chill rushing through his spine as he was thrown back 2 feet from the attack.

Mahad: LP 0300

"I'm ending my turn. If you don't do anything next turn, you lose!" said Professor Merlin, looking at Mahad severely. Mahad closed his eyes and thought to himself, _I need a miracle, NOW!_

"I'll draw!" yelled Mahad. He looked at it and then smiled.

"Game over! I'm using my own Snatch Steal spell card! This allows me to use your monster as my own! Now, I'm tributing your monster to summon Guardian Master of the Elements – Dotrious (2400/1500)! Now, attack the Professor Directly!" yelled Mahad. A warrior with traditional white samurai robes appeared. He raised his sword and pointed it at Professor Merlin, who fell before it.

Professor Merlin: LP 0000

"And that's game!" said Mahad. Professor Merlin winced. He lost in a close duel.

"Very good, the results for your test will make me place you in the Hamon Yellow Dorm! Congrats. Next Saturday, take the Harajuku Academy Train to the academy, you can't miss it. And last of all, welcome to Duel Academy!" said Professor Merlin. He shook Mahad's hand and then Mahad ran to his house to pack his bags, because he made it in Duel Academy.

Next is…

Chapter Two: Genesis of a Legend


	2. Genesis of a Legend

Chapter Two: Genesis of a Legend

It was Friday night, and Mahad was packing his bags to go to Duel Academy. He was disassembling his deck and then remaking it. He was retiring his Guardian Warrior Deck. He looked in a gold chest he had in his closet. He looked at a wide array of cards. He started picking out certain cards, the cards that were phoenixes. He took all out the Phoenix cards he had and started to make his deck. Soon, Leo, his older brother, walked in the room and looked down and Mahad who was still concentrating on his deck.

"Hey bro, you know we have to go eat dinner now. It'll be the last one we'll have here in a while since we're heading out to the academy." Said Leo, taking off his black jacket which revealed a green shirt underneath.

"I know, but you know I'm bring my two decks with me. My Guardian Warrior deck is only an occasional deck. My true deck will be the Phoenix deck that won me the Graduation Match at Middle School." Explained Mahad, putting the finishing touches on his deck. One card dropped on the floor.

"Darn my clumsy self. I wonder what the card is anyway." Bickered Mahad, bending down to pick up the card. He looked at the card and saw it was Phoenix of Healing – Nedar. He placed in his deck and thought to himself, _I remember that card, that was the first one my dad gave me…_

Mahad began to daydream. He was a little boy with the same bleached white hair and the hazel eyes. Mahad was a splitting image of his dad. Leo was standing next to Mahad. They were watching their dad duel someone. On their dad's side of the field, he had the same card Mahad dropped, the Phoenix of Healing. On the opponent's side, she had a card Mahad remembered as Ice Queen. It was Mahad's dad's turn. He drew a card.

_"You know Lily, I really did enjoy this duel._" Said Mahad's dad, beginning to make his move.

_"Don't say that now, hun. It ain't over until the last card is played."_ Said the woman named Lily. Mahad's dad played a card and then the reminiscent daydream began to fade away in the recesses of Mahad's mind. Leo was calling Mahad's name as Mahad was glaring into the nothingness of air.

"Are you okay, little bro?" asked Leo, grabbing Mahad by the shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm okay man. Let's go get some dinner." Said Mahad. They walked downstairs to the dining area. The kitchen threw out smells that tingled the brothers' senses. Their mom brung in plates of hamburgers and French fries. The mom fixed herself a plate and sat down with her suns.

"So, are you guys excited about your day tomorrow?" asked the mom, taking a bite out of her burger.

"Yeah, and I'm bringing home a 4.0." said Leo, shoving French fries in his mouth. Mahad remained silent, eating his burger without uttering a single sound.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" asked Mahad's mom, looking dead at him.

"Nothing, I just thought of dad when I was making my deck. You see, I remember, before he died, that he was dueling you, and that was the day you two loved each other through dueling. Dad never loved you more. He dueled you with the Phoenix Deck I built. Before he died, he gave me those card because he knew I'd care for them and love them the same way he did." Said Mahad.

"I know building that deck must have been hard for you sweetie, but your dad did give you that deck for a reason. He wanted you to realize that even when he's gone, you will carry his legacy as the Duelist of the New Genesis." Said Mahad's mother.

"Thanks mom, and I know I'll have a good time at the academy." Said Mahad taking a big bite out of his hamburger. The night went buy quickly, and soon, it was time for the two brothers to depart. Their mother picked up Essex, Mahad's friend from yesterday, and took them to the Train Station.

"So Essex, what dorm did you make?" asked Mahad.

"I'm in the Hamon Yellow Dorm, how about you?" responded Essex.

"I'm in the Hamon Yellow Dorm too." Said Mahad, smiling because the two friends were in the same dorm.

"Lucky you, I'm in the Uria Red Dorm." Said Leo complaining because of the poor dorm he was in. Five minutes later from the conversation, they exited the car and looked at the Harajuku airport. They took their bags from Mahad's mother's trunk and then stood over by Platform 168. A lot of academy students were waiting for the train to begin boarding. A girl was talking to a blonde guy. The buy was a bit taller than Leo, and he was muscular, and it was evident he was playing sports. He had dark brown eyes and he was standing by the girl, trying to hold some of her luggage. The girl was a brunette. She had small oval glasses and her hair was loose and free. She many curves and it was quite evident why the guy was helping her. Mahad, Essex, and Leo went over to help her.

"Hello, my name is Mahad Phoenix, need any help?" asked Mahad, looking at the two struggling to hold the bags.

"Yes, much appreciated. My name is Asuka Tenjoin the Second, daughter of Asuka Tenjoin herself. So, what dorm are you in cutie?" said Asuka introducing herself.

"I'm in the Hamon Yellow Dorm, why?" answered Mahad.

"Well, I'm in the Raviel Dorm, and I'm Cain Duke, but just call me Street, or else." Said the other guy, trying to impress Asuka.

"Well, Cain, that's nice you're in the Raviel Dorm. But I'm interested in this Hamon's skills. I'm also a member of the Raviel Dorm. How would you like to duel me cutie?" said Asuka, putting down Cain.

"Okay, I have no problem with that!" agreed Mahad, getting his Duel Disk and his deck.

"Cain, sweety, can you pass me my Duel Disk, it's in the Dark Blue suitcase!" said Asuka. Cain reached over to Asuka's suitcase, pulled out her duel disk. She got her deck from her bra (like the women in the movies do when they get their guns), inserted into the deck, and activated the Duel Disk.

"Are you ready for a chill through your spine?" asked Asuka in a different tone unlike her own. Mahad inserted his deck into his duel disk, and then their life point counters lit up. Mahad's mother was watching the duel, along with Cain, Essex, and Leo.

"LET THE DUEL COMMENCE!" yelled both of them drawing five cards.

Mahad: 4000

Asuka: 4000

"I'll begin my dear," started Asuka, drawing a card from her deck, "with my Frozen Warrior In attack mode (1700/1300)!"

A warrior covered in icy armor with a blade made out of crystal appeared. He was ready to slice and dice an opposing monster. Asuka smilied and continued with her turn.

"Next, I'm going to place one card face-down and end my turn." Played Asuka. Mahad was shocked at the kind of deck Asuka was playing. It was just like his mother versus his father, an Ice Deck vs a Phoenix Deck.

"I'll begin my turn off with a monster known as Phoenix of Healing – Niset in attack mode! (800/800) Also, my little phoenix has a special ability! It can increase my life points by 300 for each card in your hand!" began Mahad. A red phoenix with long, crimson wings appeared and then spread it wings and released red, sparkling dust in the air.

Mahad: 4900

"Now, I'm throwing down a face-down card and then I'll end my turn!" finished Mahad, waiting to see what Asuka would do.

"I believe its my move, and I'm beginning with the monster known as Frozen Soldier (1200/1500) in attack mode! Secondly, I'm going to use the Field Spell card known as Frozen Arena. With this card, I can increase the attack of all 'Frozen', 'Snow', and 'Ice', monsters by 300 points!" played Asuka elegantly. Another soldier with ice armor and a shield and sword made out of frozen crystals appeared on the field. Then, the ground around them turned into a sheet of ice, and then the warriors glowed a frozen blue.

Frozen Warrior ATK: 2000

Frozen Soldier ATK: 1500

"Now my Frozen Soldier attacks your Phoenix with his Frozen Sword!" declared Asuka. The warrior jumped up and then began an attack upon the warrior.

"I'm countering with Waboku! This card allows me-"

"I'm countering Waboku with my Frozen Jammer. If Frozen Arena is on the field, I can discard one card from my hand and negate the activation and effect of one Spell or Trap card! Sorry, but your Waboku is vanquished!" countered Asuka. A frozen seal covered Waboku and destroyed it. Then, the soldier sliced the phoenix of Mahad in half, making his life point counter sound.

Mahad: 4200

"That's not all I'm doing sweety, I'm attacking you directly with my Frozen Warrior!" continued Asuka, declaring her second attack. The warrior punched Mahad, and then made him fall on the icy ground.

Mahad: 2200

"I think so suffered enough for one turn. Your move hun." Ended Asuka with a smirk on her face. Mahad began his turn by drawing a card.

"I'm summoning a monster known as Phoenix of Strength – Ulysses (1500/1500)! Now, I'm also playing my Phoenix Rebirth card, which allows me to add one 'Phoenix' monster from my graveyard and add it to my hand!" played Mahad. An orange phoenix appeared and looked at Asuka and her monsters. Then, a flame appeared from Mahad's graveyard and turned into a card and Mahad grabbed it.

"Now, I'm attacking your Soldier with my Phoenix of Strength! Also, my Phoenix gains 600 points in battle, making its strength 2100!" declared Mahad. The orange phoenix shot a rush of fire at the soldier. The armor from the soldier began melting and it along with it.

Asuka: 3400

"Now, I'm setting one card face-down and end my turn." Ended Mahad, smiling. Mahad's mother was surprised at how well Mahad was dueling with the Phoenix deck. Asuka was frustrated and then she drew a card from her deck.

"I'm using Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two cards from my hand!" played Asuka. A green pot appeared on Asuka's side of the field. Two cards with a green glow were added to her hand.

"Now, I'm using the spell card known as Cost Down! This allows me to discard a card from my hand, and decrease the level of the monsters in my hand by two!" continued Asuka. Everyone was still wondering what Asuka was trying to do in the match.

"Finally, I can summon Ice Queen (1900/1200/5) in attack mode! Now, I attack your Phoenix with my Queen!" yelled Asuka. A beautiful lady with an ice dress and a long crystal staff appeared. She began to float, and shot a spear of ice, made by her staff, at the Phoenix, and Mahad's life point counter began decreasing.

Mahad: 2100

"I'm using my trap card known as Call of the Haunted, to bring back my Phoenix of Strength back! Now what are you gonna do, Asuka?" played Mahad before Asuka could attack with her other monster. The phoenix rose with a flicker of flames. Asuka was surprised.

"I'll end my turn. Now let's see what the power of the Phoenix really is, MAHAD PHOENIX!" ended Asuka dramatically. Mahad closed his eyes and drew a card. At first he was disappointed because he drew the Shield and Sword spell card. He then thought to himself, _Why in the heck would my dad add Shield and Sword in this deck?_ Then it hit him, with the monster he had in his hand, he could easily destroy Asuka's field.

"I'm going to summon Phoenix of the Shield – Guaruda (700/1900) in attack mode! Now… I'll use the Shield and Sword card! This card switches the attack power and defense power of all monsters on the field!" played Mahad. Another phoenix rose with blue flames. It had metal padding on its wings.

Ice Queen: 1200/2200

Frozen Warrior: 1300/2000

Phoenix of Strength: 1500/1500

Phoenix of the Shield: 1900/700

"Now, Phoenix of Strength attacks your Ice Queen!" declared Mahad. The orange phoenix shot a wave of fire at the queen. She began to cough and die within the sea of flames.

"And for the second attack, Phoenix of the Shield, attack her Warrior!" continued Mahad. The phoenix shot a wave of blue flames at the warrior. He also died like the queen he worked so hard to protect. Asuka was shocked, her entire field was wiped out, and Mahad was one attack from winning the game.

Asuka: 1900

"By setting one card face-down, I'll end my turn!" yelled Mahad. Asuka drew her card and then looked at it.

"If you can't play anything, this duel is done, Asuka!" said Mahad, reminding her of the predicament she was in.

"C'mon hun, even you should know that the duel ain't over…" began Asuka. And Mahad's mother thought to herself the ending, _…until the last card is played_.

"I'm using Premature Burial! By paying 800 life points, I can special summon one monster from my graveyard! So, I choose the beautiful Ice Queen in attack mode!" played Asuka. Her life point counter sounded as the beautiful and dashing queen appeared again.

"I'm sorry Asuka, you put up a valiant effort, but I'm ending this duel!" stated Mahad with lots of confidence and pride.

"What are you up to Phoenix?" asked Asuka, as she saw his face-down card. A ring with grenades appeared by Mahad's Phoenix of Strength. The ring exploded and made both players fall back.

Asuka: 0

Mahad: 600

"You see, I knew I wasn't going to be able to outpower you, so I used my Ring of Destruction trap card before you could attack my Phoenix of Strength! So that meant you would lose the duel since you only had 1100 points left! Good game, Asuka!" explained Mahad. Asuka got up and shook Mahad's hand. The train to Duel Academy was there. They put away their duel disks and started to walk towards the train. Mahad's mother reached in her pocket.

"MAHAD, WAIT!" yelled his mother. Mahad was near the train about to board it. His mother had a card in her hand ready to give to him.

"That was an awesome duel sweety. Your father wanted you to have this card. It's called the Phoenix of Truth – Elaiser! This card was your father's ace card. And I wanted you to have it only when you deserved it most. So, do you take this card sweety?" said Mahad's mother, holding the card.

"Yeah, I will, thanks mom, and don't worry, I'll take care of Leo!" said Mahad. He got his card and then he hurried to board the train. He thought to himself, _Dad's ace card, I will take care of it with my life!_

On another part of the trait was a young man looking at his laptop. He was examining the other freshmen along with him. He stopped to look at Cain's, Asuka's, and Mahad's profiles. He was interested in Mahad's because he held that special card that his mother gave him. He was also watching the duel from afar. He had neon green eyes and chestnut hair to match.

"Mahad Phoenix, Cain Duke, and Asuka Tenjoin… they all have something I want, and by the power of my deck and my will, I most definitely will receive it!" said he. The train began to depart to Duel Academy.

Next is…

Chapter Three:

Phoenixes of War

(CARDS OF THE CHAPTER)

Ice Queen/WATER/Level 5/Spellcaster/Effect/1900/1200/ As long as this card remains face-up on the field, this card is unaffected by trap cards.

Phoenix of Strength – Ulysses/FIRE/Level 4/ Winged-Beast/Effect/1500/1500/ When this card battles another monster, choose the following effect that applies: - If this card is in attack mode, this card gains 600 ATK until the End Phase of this turn. - If this card is in defense mode, this card gains 600 DEF until the End Phase of this turn.


	3. Phoenixes of War

Chapter Three: Phoenixes of War

Cain, Asuka, Essex, Mahad, and Leo boarded the train. The train was huge, and big enough for duels to take place. They got their luggage and put it in the rack in their compartment. Asuka ordered lunch for the group, and while they waited, the group decided to walk around and meet more of the academy members. Mahad and Cain went to go see the duelists. Leo and Essex went to go to the card shop to see what cards they had. Asuka went over to the ladies' section of the train to converse with the other girls.

Cain and Mahad walked into the dueling compartment and saw the big dueling field. There were four duels currently going on. The first duel featured a Ra Yellow going against an Obelisk Blue. The Ra Yellow had a monster that was glowing yellow on the field. He seemed to be a medival swordsman. The Obelisk Blue seemed to be defenseless. The Ra Yellow began his move.

"Okay dude, it's my turn. I know that you only have 1800 points left. Unfortunately for you, my monster has 1800 points." Declared the Ra Yellow.

"I heard of those monsters," began Cain, explaining to Mahad about the monsters the Ra Yellow was playing with, "those are the Six Samurai cards. They are very hard to get, very Rare cards. This Obelisk is in big trouble if he gets attacked.

"Yes, the Six Samurai cards are indeed quite interesting." Said a voice behind them that neither Mahad nor Cain recognized. They looked behind them and saw another student with long purple hair and sandpaper-colored eyes. He was wearing a red trenchcoat and then was watching the duel.

"Who are you?" asked Mahad anxiously.

"I am Latoma Mundara, the Freshman Champion. How do you do?" said Latoma introducing himself. He thought to himself while holding out his hand for a handshake, _They must observe duels too, or are they too simple-minded to take notes?_

"I'm fine," began Mahad ", I'm Ma-"

"Mahad Phoenix, the Master of the Legendary Phoenix Deck… yes, I've watched your wonderous duel with Asuka," said Latoma then turning to Cain ", and you are Cain Duke. I've also researched about your exploits with your Horus and Phoenix hybrid deck. An unusual combo if I do say so myself, but, well done when it's been phenomenal like yours."

"Well, I know this, if that Obelisk Student doesn't block this next attack, that Ra's gonna win the game." Said Cain, going back to the duel. The Ra was looking at the Obelisk with no mercy.

"Now, Zanji, attack with Six Samurai Slash!" declared the Ra Student. The swordsman jumped up and then thrust its sword through the Obelisk student. He cried out in horror as his life point counter hit zero. The Ra student turned around and Mahad got a better view of him. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He was tall and muscular. His duel disk was in the shape of the blade of a sword.

"That's quite a deck you have there…um… what's your name?" said Latoma, trying to make another "friend". _This is another person I should add to my database, he could prove to be useful once I try to release them,_ thought Latoma to himself.

"My name, is Dargor Dragonheart. How about you guys." Said Dargor.

"Well, as Latoma said, I'm Mahad Phoenix, and this is my friend, Cain Duke!" said Mahad introducing them. Latoma thought to himself, _Maybe, we could get some entertainment…_

"Hey, I have an idea," began Latoma, "Cain, Mahad, why don't you guys duel. I mean, Cain wanted to prove himself better than Mahad until Asuka stole the duel so why don't you guys have a duel?"

"That sounds like a cool idea, do you want to Mahad?" said Cain.

"Okay, let's have a duel. And remember not to pout when I win." Said Mahad. They both got their decks and Latoma supplied both of them with Duel Disks. They loaded their decks in their duel disks.

"Remember, I am a Raviel Blue Duelist, so don't expect me to give you an easy win man." said Cain reminding Mahad of who he was going up against.

"You should remember that I beat Asuka, a Raviel Blue Duelist, so you shouldn't count your eggs before they hatch!" said Mahad, activating his duel disk. Cain activated his duel disk. Both players drew five cards and their life point counters stopped at 4000.

"LET'S DUEL!" yelled both players.

Cain: 4000

Mahad: 4000

"I'll begin this game with Phoenix of the Ocean – Aquatia (1500/1500) in attack mode! Next, I'm setting one card face-down and end my turn!" played Mahad quickly. A beautiful blue phoenix appeared on the field. It stared at Cain with its menacing blue eyes and then cawed.

"I'll begin Mahad, with a spell card known as Charity of Nephthys! This card allows me to discard on "Nephthys" card from my hand and then draw two more cards! Next, I'll play my monster known as Diagma of Nephthys (1200/1200) in attack mode! Now, I'll set one card face-down and end my turn!" played Cain strategically. A warrior with shining, blazing, golden armor appeared. His sword was large and he was muscular. Mahad was wondering why Cain would play a weaker monster to counter his Phoenix.

"I'll begin if you don't mind Cain," began Mahad and then Cain began to interrupt.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, we're way past the point where you call me 'Cain'. Just call me Street now." said Cain trying to get Mahad to acknowledge him in a different way.

"Okay then Street, I'll start the turn by discarding one card from my hand to special summon Phoenix Paladin! (2100/1700) Next, I'll play my Phoenix of Strength – Ulysses (1500/1500) in attack mode!" yelled Mahad. First, a man in red armor appeared with a long staff. Then, an orange phoenix appeared, spreading its wings.

"Such great power is emerging from both sides, its extraordinary. Even though Cain is at clear disadvantage, he still stands his ground. But if Mahad's attack is successful, then Mahad wins the duel. This is a very good display of power; I can use this power to resurrect the cards I need." Muttered Latoma to himself.

"Wow, these two are great duelists, aren't they Latoma?" asked Dargor with pulsing excitement.

"Yes, quite exhilarating if I do say so myself. I think this was a good idea to make them duel and see who's the best." answered Latoma properly.

"Now, I'll attack your Diagma with Aquatia! Liquid Burn attack!" yelled Mahad. The phoenix shot out a blue liquid that was boiling hot. Then, a big shield deflected the attack and Mahad was shocked.

"You see Mahad, I used a trap card called Shield of Nephthys! This card allows you to draw a card and I am protect from all of your attacks for the duration of the turn." explained Cain with a smile. Mahad drew his card and ended his turn.

Cain drew a card and began laughing. He started to talk to Mahad, saying, "I hope you like surprises, because this is a surprise that you're gonna love."

"What did Cain draw?" asked Latoma, wondering what could possibly make him happy.

"Yes, it had to be something very good to make a duelist smile like that." said Dargor, also pondering about what Cain drew.

"Well, are you gonna keep on stalling or are you gonna make your move Street?" asked Mahad waiting for Cain to make his move. _Besides, I have a trap card that is waiting for you anyway_, thought Mahad.

"First, I'm using Mystical Space Typhoon on your face-down card!" played Cain. A storm appeared rushing towards Mahad and destroying his face-down Mirror Force trap card.

"Next, I'm using a spell card known as Premature Burial! By paying 800 life points, I can special summon one monster from the graveyard! And the card I'm bringing back is Hand of Nephthys!" said Cain. A lady with a flaming skirt and flaming tank-top appeared. She began chanting as Diagma and herself disappeared.

"Now, I use my Hand's ability to special summon the beauty of my deck, the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys! (2400/1600). Next, I'll play my Sacred Phoenix Fire Blast, which allows a Phoenix monster to attack directly, and I choose Nephthys! NOW NEPHTHYS, attack with Sacred Phoenix Fire Blast!" played Cain. A beautiful phoenix whose wings shined from fire appeared. It shot a wave of fire at Mahad, dramatically decreasing his life points.

Cain: 3200

Mahad: 1600

"Great scott, Mahad's life points took a nosedive! Cain's strategy is impressive." said Dargor, applauding Cain on his exploit.

"Yes, it was rather impressive, was it not?" said Latoma.

"Now, I'll set one card face-down and end my turn!" yelled Cain. Mahad drew a card and began his move.

"I'll start off with a card known as Phoenix Paladin's Buckshot! By tributing my Paladin, I can destroy your Phoenix!" yelled Mahad. The paladin got a boomerand and shot it at the Phoenix. The Phoenix shattered and was in ashes and then the boomerang destroyed the paladin.

"Next, I'll declare the attack of my Phoenix of Strength and Phoenix of the Waters against your life points!" yelled Mahad. The two phoenixes shot their attacks at Street, who was defenseless.

"I activate my trap card known as Nephthys Wall! By removing two Nephthys monsters from play, I can negate two of your attacks! So sorry for you!" countered Street. A wall of fire appeared and then negated the attacks of both Phoenixes. Mahad was outraged and then finished his turn.

"Well, to finish the turn, I'll play a spell card known as Fire Blaster!" yelled Mahad. A gun appeared in Mahad's hand. It began to charge as he pointed it at Cain.

"WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE, PHOENIX!?!?!" yelled Cain as he was trying to avoid Mahad's gun.

"Well, my Fire Blaster is a gun that will fire at you. It takes away 500 points for each "Phoenix" monster on my side of the field. And since there's two on the field, you take 1000 points. SIONARA!" yelled Mahad. He pulled the trigger after the gun finished charging. A fiery bullet charged at Cain and knocked him down, and his life point counter started buzzing away.

Cain: 2200

"Now, I'll end my turn." ended Mahad calmly. Cain got up from the gunshot and drew a card.

"I hope you know what a Phoenix does because I resurrect the Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys. Sicne you destroyed from a spell card last turn, I can bring it back. And since it is on the field, I might as well attack Aquatia!" declared Cain. The phoenix appeared again and shot a rage of fire at its nemesis.

Mahad: 700

"Mahad, at this rate, you need to pull a miracle, because if you don't, don't think I'm not afraid to take you down." said Cain. Mahad gritted his teeth as he knew this would be no easy task.

CHAPTER END.

Yay, cliffie, who will win, Mahad or Cain?

Next is…

Chapter Four: Revelations of Victory!


	4. Revelations of Victory

Chapter Four: Revelations of Victory, the Heart-Pounding Conclusion

The duel was coming to its end. Mahad stood there, tired from the match. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead.

"Wow, it seems like this duel is draining the energy from me." said Mahad, panting.

Cain began wiping sweat from his forehead as well. He was tired. Latoma just stood there smiling. He thought to himself, _It's not the duel that's tiring you fool… Heh heh, in time, you'll know._

"Well, Cain, you just might win this game. All you have to do is just finish me off with your Phoenix." said Mahad, panting.

"Well, luckily for you, it's your turn. So, is Mr. Phoenix Prodigy gonna make a comeback, or will he fall?" exclaimed Street, smirking.

"Only time will tell, my-" began Mahad before an announcement rang through all of the compartments of the train.

"ATTENTION ALL PASSENGERS! IN TEN MINUTES, WE NEED YOU BACK IN YOUR SEATS. IN TEN MINUTES, WE NEED YOU BACK IN YOUR SEATS!" yelled the conductor. The four duelists looked at each other with worry. Mahad drew his card and smiled.

"Will this duel be finished in ten minutes?" yelled Cain.

"Yep, trust me. First, I use my Aquatia's ability to draw one extra card by removing it from play. Next, since it's my Standby Phase, I activate Phoenix Paladin's ability…" began Mahad.

"What's gonna happen? I mean, Mahad is smiling, and it has to be a good reason." said Dargor, wondering what Mahad is going to do.

"Okay Phoenix, do your thing my man! Next turn, I'll-"

"THERE WON'T EVEN BE A NEXT TURN FOR YOU! Now, I summon Phoenix of Victory – Lidemin! (2400/2000)" yelled Mahad. A golden phoenix appeared on the field, blinding everything else in sight. Cain was in awe at the magnificent and the beautiful phoenix before him.

"Now, Phoenix Paladin allows me to remove it from play in order to summon a 'Phoenix' monster from my hand. However, at the end of the turn, I have to destroy this monster. So I have one turn to make this count!" explained Mahad.

"Wow, that is a superb move, but how can Mahad take down Cain in one turn?"asked Dargor.

"We can't count Mahad out yet. He does make the most impressive comebacks that even I can't predict." said Latoma, crossing his arm. There were 7 minutes left in order for the gang to get back to their seats. Mahad then played another card from his hand.

"I'm also activating this spell card known as Double Spell. By discarding one card from my hand, I can add one spell card that was in your graveyard to my hand. And the spell card I am choosing is Sacred Phoenix Fire Blast!" declared Mahad. Everyone was shocked. Cain's graveyard glowed an eeries yellow and the card Mahad wished for floated towards him. Mahad caught the card and smiled.

"This…is…amazing…" said a nearly speechless Dargor.

"How in the bloody hell did Mahad manage to pull this off?" asked Latoma.

"Now, I activate the spell card Sacred Phoenix Fire Blast! This card gives my Phoenix the ability to attack you directly this turn!" yelled Mahad. Everyone was in awe. Mahad pulled off what seemed like a complete miracle.

"Now, Phoenix of Victory, bring me victory in this duel by attack Street with your almight Sacred Phoenix Fire Blast!" yelled Mahad. The phoenix shot out a beautiful rush of fire. The fire hit Cain as he yelled in pain, and, with pride he lost. His life point counter began ringing until it hit zero, and Mahad was the victor of the duel.

Cain: 0

The holograms started to disappear. Cain fell and then began coughing. Mahad then fell on the floor. Dargor and Latoma went to go check on them.

"I …need…water…" said Mahad, trying to inhale.

"Me…too…" said Cain. They both passed out

Soon, both players woke up in the compartment they were in. Asuka, Leo, Dargor, Latoma, and Essex were looking at them.

"You guys were treated and then brought back in here. We're gonna be around thirty minutes until we reach the academy. So, you guys just wanna talk?" said Asuka, looking at them with more of a relieved face.

"Well, we might as well, so, Asuka, why did you decide to come to Duel Academy?" asked Mahad, trying to start conversation. Asuka looked uneasy at first.

"You don't have to answer if you don't feel conf-"

"It's okay. Well, my parents died when I was 6. My older cousin has been taking care of me. He is dying in the hospital right now, and he told me to keep going to school. The consent form for Duel Academy needed a person who is at least 21, and my cousin's 19. I forged my parents' signatures and then told my cousin. I also participated in different Duel tournaments for I can earn money for the four-year admission." said Asuka. The compartment feel silent.

"Asuka, what's wrong with your brother?" asked Leo.

"He has Cancer, and at the rate it's going…" struggled Asuka, before breaking out in a torrent of tears.

"I, just wanna help him. The doctors say they could do something, but it will cost 1.5 million dollars for the operation. And even if he has the operation… he only has 30 chance of it being successful." cried Asuka. The others, even Latoma, had a look of sorrow for Asuka.

"Asuka, we WILL help your cousin before it's too late. I don't know what it will be, but I know we WILL help you, no matter what." said a reassuring Mahad.

"Th…thanks Mahad." said Asuka.

"So, how about you Street, what brings you to Duel Academy?" asked Mahad, after making sure Asuka was fine.

"Well, my life has three passions, dueling, mysteries, and basketball. You see, when I was younger, I broke my leg playing basketball. During my recovery time, I played Duel Monsters and then I got really talented. I decided to come to Duel Academy to learn about different styles and stuffs. Also, I was convinced when they said they had state-of-the-art gymnasiums." said Cain.

"So, are you gonna play some basketball while you here?" asked Asuka.

"Most likely." said Cain.

"So, Mahad, why did you come to Duel Academy?" asked Asuka anxiously.\

"Well, I love Duel Monsters. I come up with deck ideas everyday and I practice and watch duels nearly everyday. I like to create my own cards and it's a fun game. When I heard of Duel Academy, I decided to come here because I thought I could get something out of it." said Mahad.

"And Latoma, why did you decide to come to Duel Academy?" asked Leo, seeing Latoma being somewhat left out of the conversation.

"I decided to come to Duel Academy to prepare myself mentally and emotionally for the endeavors of the World Championship. I heard that the academy selects eight duelists to send to the National Championship, then it goes to the World Championship. I hear that the World Championship is very tense and only the best of the best can survive in the tournament. I also heard that the world champions are in no joking mood." said Latoma.

"Wow, you're going to the World Championship…that's awesome dude." said Mahad.

"Yeah, that's nice but what I really need is the promotional card and the prize. The promotional card is one of a kind and can't be found anywhere else according to the news I've heard about the tournament and they said the prize is around 2 to 3 million dollars. With that money, we could get Asuka's cousin his operation money, and bribe the docs a little bit more to make sure they do it right." said Latoma

"Well, that's awesome. I really appreciate it that you're trying to help me Latoma." said Asuka gratefully.

"And with that, I want to ask you Leo why you decided to join Duel Academy." said Latoma interrogatingly.

"Well, I joined the academy for a shot at trying to improve. All my life, people have said that my skills suck, but I'm here to prove them wrong. I think that if I move up in the Duel Academy ladder, and learn how to duel better, I can do better in tournaments." said Leo, with a fire in his voice. The gang looked at him with compassion.

"Well, we're gonna become the best duelists bro!" yelled Mahad.

"Oh please, you couldn't beat me in your sleep." said Latoma defensively.

"Well, Mr. Mundara, don't expect to get past all of us so very easily, because don't forget, we do have dueling skills." said Cain, trying to prove himself and including everyone else in the process.

"Cain, don't expect to get an easy, yet, don't ever try and get a sympathetic duel from me because I'll end up blowing you up into smitherines. Got it?" said Latoma, trying to start an argument.

"Easy…easy… you guys shouldn't be arguing over such blasphemy. We all know that I'M GONNA be the best in the academy." said Asuka, brushing her hair.

"Hmm… I'm assuming that's why Mahad smashed you in a duel?" asked Leo slyly.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!?!?!?!?!?" asked Asuka, about to pound Leo to the ground.

"Oh calm down, I looked outside, we're above the ocean now, that means we should be arrive the academy soon, and before anyone starts talking, you all have to go through ME before claiming you are the best!" said Mahad. The train began to come to a stop. Mahad got up and began to stretch. He said.

"Well, time to go to work at Duel Academy!" yelled Mahad. They all got their bags and began to unboard the train. They saw the large academy. The main building stood proudly amongst the trees and other life. The sun was beginning to set, and the gang was already one step closer to a good adventure.

Next is..

Chapter Five

Passionate Flames of Rivalry


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